


The Teacher

by Princess_Claire_Fey



Series: Jadzula [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Genocide, Alternate Universe - No War, F/F, Firebending & Firebenders, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-27
Updated: 2019-09-07
Packaged: 2019-11-01 05:42:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17861417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Princess_Claire_Fey/pseuds/Princess_Claire_Fey
Summary: Avatar Jadzia has mastered air, water, and earth. Now, she just needs someone to teach her the art of firebending.





	1. Chapter 1

Air, Water, Earth. The newly-minted Avatar Jadzia had mastered all three by the ripe age of twenty-one. Impressive, until you remember the hundred or so lifetimes of experience she had to call from, people from all four nations whom had attained mastery in forms both ancient and modern. She had hardly been the first Avatar to manage, and almost certainly wouldn't be the last.  
  
Not to say it hadn't been hard work, but she didn't exactly look down on the many people who despite having several years on her, were still working to master their first and only element. Though she couldn't lie either: she had gotten rather used to being the most talented bender her age. On one hand it was a little vain, on the other, the confidence it gave her wasn't exactly something to be ignored either.  
  
So when Jadzia learned that her firebending teacher would be the sixteen-year-old Fire Princess, it shattered more than a few preconceptions.  
  
Of course, she could learn to live with learning under someone so young, but her age wasn't the only thing bothering Jadzia. During the however-many-months of her stay, she would be eating, sleeping and training at the one and only Fire Nation Royal Palace, being treated as if she were a member of the family that permanently resided there. Being pampered: yes. Not being able to easily get away: no.  
  
Or at least that's what she told herself as she got out of the carriage and walked past the wide and imposing palace gates.  
  
It was different than the last time she had seen it (Curzon's fault), but it was still the pretty, tranquil-on-the-surface place she remembered. The colorful gardens, the songs of birds. Each courtyard was a small snapshot of nature - if you stayed long enough you could almost forget that you were in the very center of the biggest city in the Fire Nation, a quality Jadzia simultaneously liked and loathed. Either way, it was something she had little intention of making use of today: she interrupted a maidservant who meekly informed her that the Princess was doing her morning routine, and could be found in the Agni Kai arena. Jadzia knew the way.  
  
Originally, her firebending master was supposed to be Prince Iroh, a man known around the world for his legendary teas and visits to the spirit world (not to mention, being denied the throne in favor of his younger brother, something aristocrats the world around would _not_ shut up about).  
  
The reason for the change lay right in front of her. Princess Azula wasn't known for spirituality or hospitality, but she _did_ have the ability to make her flames turn blue. Why monks and sages around the world thought that made her a candidate worthy to teach the Avatar, Jadzia did not know. While her handlers technically couldn't stop her from choosing whatever teacher she wanted, they _could_ make things exceptionally difficult so Jadzia considered defying them a rare indulgence. It couldn't hurt to give the girl a chance.  
  
That all said, watching the Princess train from the sidelines in the arena gave her some empathy for her handler's opinions. Putting the color aside, her movements were a far cry from the (admittedly few) firebenders Jadzia had seen in her travels in the other three nations. Their movements were decisive and rooted. This woman however was light on her feet, even leaving the ground at times. More like an airbender but without the ritualistic evasiveness and wide circular movements - in place of that Jadzia saw the same aggression and ruthlessness that one would expect from a firebender, as she shot lances and lashes of flame at imaginary enemies.  
  
Okay so, Jadzia didn't _want_ to like her, but she had to admit that the Princess was starting to look like more than a girl with a rare parlor trick.  
  
However, being a prodigy doesn't make someone a teacher, something she knew all too well after trying to teach friend after friend 'simple' tricks. Jadzia found that some of the best teachers weren't the most talented or the quickest to learn - sometimes even the opposite. They had worked hard for what they had learned, they remembered each step it took to get there.  
  
Of course, having the latent memories of over a hundred avatars did have the habit of speeding the learning process.  
  
"Evaluating me?"  
  
Jadzia looked up at the princess, who had since stopped her forms. "Oh, no." she answered, before standing up and giving a customary fist-and-open palm salute. "It wouldn't be proper for a student to evaluate their teacher."  
  
The Princess snapped her fingers, signaling a dormant servant to bring her something to drink. "Of course." she said with a smile. "How foolish of me to think you would be comparing me to your preferred choice." she remarked as she looked the Avatar over, her eyes stopping at the intricate tattoos that ran down from the edges of her forehead to her collar.  
  
_Since when was I so readable?_ , she thought to herself, watching the young royal accept a glass of ice water - only to take individual sips as if she weren't out of breath from a nearly hour-long training session in he hot sun, one performed in a battle-dress with a mantlet no less. "How do you know I didn't choose you?" she asked this time with a more straight face. Not quite ready to admit defeat.  
  
"Your past four teachers were all several times my age, every one a current or former master at an accredited academy. My Uncle also shares views similar to those of your people. I'm conservative in comparison."  
  
"Four?"  
  
"Master Shuren refused to teach you because you were 'too arrogant' I believe? Master Pakku of the north had to teach you instead. Reluctantly, or so I'm told, since he doesn't take well to a woman learning a man's art."  
  
Jadzia raised an eyebrow at the Princess's knowledge of her waterbending teachers. "Heard about that, did you?"  
  
"Of course. It's especially important that the leaders of the world follow the Avatar's progress. The lessons your teachers impart on you will shape the world for a century to come." she explained dispassionately, before adding. "Though I'll admit I have a special interest, your predecessor did kill my great-grandfather after all."  
  
"He was plotting a-"  
  
Azula held up her free hand. "I'm sure Avatar Curzon had his justifications. I'm merely doing my due-diligence. Just as you were when you were watching me just now."  
  
Jadzia sighed. "What if I told you I wanted you to teach me." she said simply. "I've had over a hundred lifetimes; it's my duty as the Avatar to seek out new experiences that will add something to the Avatar line. I've seen the fire of dragons become many colors: red, purple, green, yellow. But never blue. By not at least _trying_ to learn I'd be failing that duty. Learning from your Uncle would be more of the same, an experience that my past lives have seen a hundred times over."  
  
The Avatar looked on as the Princess seemed to consider her words for a moment, before shaking her head. "A well-conceived lie." she said. "But a lie nonetheless"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"You made a few mistakes. The first was looking up at the sky at the beginning of your 'my hundred lifetimes' speech. You were imagining something, not speaking genuinely. Your tone became stronger when you referred to my Uncle as more of the same. It felt bad to insult him this way, and so you compensated by sounding more definitive and convincing to mask your underlying misgivings." she explained, as if she were reading the weather section of the paper. "And finally, you smiled briefly while I took a sip. It pleased you to know I was buying your story. Or at least, I appeared to be."  
  
A pause.  
  
"You could tell I was lying from just that?"  
  
The Princess finished her drink. "Those three things could have easily been coincidences." she admitted, before letting her face curl into a smirk. "But your reaction just now confirmed it."  
  
"You tricked me!"  
  
"Hardly." she countered. "You _did_ really make mistakes. Not enough to know for sure, but enough to to run with it. It _was_ a well-conceived lie. If it were written down on paper it would have been flawless. Enough truth as to not be a total fabrication, yet not so much so that you left yourself unable to be direct."  
  
Jadzia nodded as Azula handed an empty glass to the servant. "So the problem was in the delivery."  
  
"Precisely. You broke the cardinal rule of espionage: you let it get too personal. You weren't just misdirecting me and concealing your proverbial hand; you let your ego get involved. You wanted to paint yourself a virtuous Avatar with an mind as open as the sea, with a dedication to duty to match. You became attached to whether I believed you or not."  
  
The comment about _ego_ stung a little, though the last thing Jadzia wanted to do was to the play into the Princess's hand by getting defensive. Plus, if she were being honest, Azula wasn't exactly wrong, even though she was being a bit cocky. She hadn't even given the 'honored to meet the Avatar' speech and already she was lecturing her on 'espionage'.  
  
"So, are you going to be teaching me about lying, or firebending?" she teased.  
  
"I don't see why it can't be both." said the Princess. "There's more to being the Avatar than bending the elements." she explained, gesturing for her to leave the Agni Kai arena.  
  
Jadzia considered that for a moment. "I suppose." she admitted. "Though the as the Avatar, I'm supposed to be someone of honesty and integrity. I'm not supposed to solve my problems with lying."  
  
"And as a Princess of the Fire Nation, I'm supposed to be an avid study of tea ceremony, poetry, and home economics in preparation for a marriage that will strengthen my family." she said. "Though I don't particularly care about what I'm _supposed_ to be. And if I'm right and there was truth in that little speech of yours, you don't either."  
  
She smiled. "I suppose I don't." she admitted.  
  
Perhaps the Princess would make a good teacher after all.


	2. Chapter 2

Breath in, hold, breathe out. Breath in, hold, breathe out. Breathe in, hold, breathe out.  
  
That's what Jadzia had been doing for _three hours_ ever since the sun had crept over the horizon. She thought Azula was _joking_ three days ago when she said that her first lesson in firebending would be to sit there, stare at a fire, and 'connect' with it. And it certainly didn't help that she had to wake up when it was barely light and finally stop after sunset (breaking only _twice_ for meals, one for lunch, one for dinner). This was the kind of thing she was supposed to be _getting away from_ by having the young princess teach her instead of Prince Iroh.  
  
To make matters worse, she couldn't even sneak away - Azula could just _tell_ when she slacked off. She wasn't even in the courtyard with Jadzia, but she'd frequently enter whenever her mind wandered from the expansions and contractions of flame.  
  
At first, it was impressive that she could tell from so far away. But after enough times of her coming in to snap her out of daydreaming or to comment on her technique, it loses its luster.  
  
She could feel the flame, just as Azula wanted. When she breathed in, it rose, just as Azula wanted. And when she breathed out, it fell, just as Azula wanted.  
  
_What more was there to do?_  
  
Jadzia stood up and left the fire bowl to its own devices. _She_ was having breakfast whether Princess know-it-all liked it or not. And after that? Well it was the Fire Days festival today, and Jadzia was looking forward to seeing one for the first time. Well, the first time in this life anyway.  
  
Her moment of respite, sitting back in a dining room chair breathing however she pleased as she waited for a servant lasted all of one minute and ten seconds.  
  
"Hungry, are we?"  
  
"I've been staring at a flame for three hours." Jadzia managed, exasperated. "All I can think about is food."  
  
Azula sighed. "That would explain its erratic behavior."  
  
A pause.  
  
"Is there a reason why you're waking me up at these unspiritlike hours to have me stare at a flame until dusk?" Jadzia asked. "Or is this some kind of punishment for preferring your Uncle over you? Because I've breathed every way I can think of and I'm no closer to 'understanding the flame' than when I started!" she exclaimed, not having expected everything to come out like that but not exactly regretting it either.  
  
"You're being woken up at the same 'unspiritlike' hours as I am. You are training as hard as I am and you have as much time to rest as I do." Azula said simply, requiring some effort to keep her voice from showing any frustration.  
  
Jadzia raised an eyebrow, taken aback. "Really? You're telling me that even on a day like this you wake up, train, go to sleep? Nothing else?" she asked.  
  
"A day like this?"  
  
"You know, the Fire Days Festival!" Jadzia exclaimed, deciding not to interrupt as Azula shooed away a servant who was undoubtedly about to take their order. "Dragons, fire flakes, dancing, music. A celebration!" she explained, almost getting excited just thinking about it. It had been days since she had actually really talked to anyone outside of her role as the Avatar and weeks since she last celebrated something. It was hard not to get a little giddy with fun so close.  
  
Azula shook her head. "It's best not to get involved in such things. They distract the mind."  
  
"So that's it? Work until sunset, day in, day out?" Jadzia almost couldn't believe what she was hearing.  
  
"There are days for rest" she answered, letting out another sigh. "But they're selected on their merit. Not to coincide with any... celebration."  
  
A pause.  
  
"...you're pulling my leg." Jadzia said with a smile.  
  
"I absolutely am not. Now return your studies." Azula snapped.  
  
Jadzia stood up. "Well, if you're not pulling my leg..." she began. "Than it's time _I_ taught _you_ how to have some fun." she finished with grin.  
  
" _I_ don't need to be taught to have fun. _You_ need to be taught discipline." she retorted.  
  
She put her arms behind her back. "Alright, maybe I could use a little discipline." Jadzia admitted, still bearing her devious smile. "But I can't learn from someone who can't let loose even once a year. Now you come with me to the Fire Days festival, and stay with me until midnight, or _I'm_ telling the monks that I can't learn from you and need to be taught by someone else. Preferably, your Uncle"  
  
Azula frowned. "You say that as if I want to teach you." she said with an edge sharp enough to bleed.  
  
Jadzia shrugged. "Alright, maybe you don't. But I _do_ think you're the type of person who doesn't want to be beaten by their Uncle." she said, her grin finally curling into a smirk. "What was it you called him in front of your dad? Uncle fatso?"  
  
Silence.  
  
"10 o'clock."  
  
"What?"  
  
"10 o'clock. And not a minute longer." Azula repeated. "I can't ruin my sleep."  
  
Jadzia smiled. "Alright, deal. But we leave now." she said, deciding to abandon her breakfast in favor of going out.  
  
Azula's eyes opened wide. "It's not even midday. The festivities will have barely begun." she protested.  
  
"Well, we'll have to get dressed first, won't we? I don't have any red in my wardrobe, so I'll have to borrow from yours." Jadzia explained, grabbing Azula's hand and ushering her out of the dining hall and in the direction of the Princess's room. "Come on!" she urged, looking back at Azula who looked like a cross between shock and mild seasickness, wanting to say something but unable to muster the courage.  
  
She opened the door.  
  
"Nice place." Jadzia said honestly as she walked through Azula's suites, still dragging the silent princess by the arm. "Could use a little decoration though." she said, noting the spartan layout in contrast to the opulence of each individual item. That, and the distinct overuse of the same teardrop flame tapestry throughout.  
  
"It suits my needs." Azula spoke finally.  
  
Jadzia decided to ignore that comment as she found what looked to be a cross between a bathroom and a walk-in wardrobe. On one side, a long marble mantle with a sink and various make-up, on the other a series of sliding doors which revealed a myriad of hanging clothing when opened. "Alright, I take it back..." she trailed off, looking at a line of dresses, coats and mantles (some of which looked as though they hadn't ever been worn) that went on longer than she thought possible. "I didn't realize that behind that regal exterior of yours you were such a fashionista."  
  
"I'm not." Azula said, sounding almost defensive. "Most of them are gifts." she explained, watching Jadzia pull a hangar off the rack so she could hold a dress against herself.  
  
"Wow, you must have a lot of friends." she remarked, putting the ill-fitting dress back where she found it and grabbing another one. "I feel like I could spend hours and still not know what to wear!" Jadzia exclaimed.  
  
"Most of them are from Ty Lee or my father." Azula explained further, not sure what to do as Jadzia went deeper into her wardrobe. "Ty Lee is... good at this sort of thing."  
  
She raised an eyebrow. "And your father?" Jadzia asked, picking out a third dress before stepping behind a folding screen to try it on.  
  
Azula's eyes briefly tracked Jadzia's arms as she pulled her shirt over her head, noting that her intricate tattoos fell past her shoulders. "He just wants his daughter to look decent. I am a princess after all."  
  
"Of course." Jadzia acknowledged before coming out from behind the folding screen, bearing a traditional red-and-gold _qipao_ with some floral accents. "How do I look?"  
  
"Well, um..." Azula trailed off, not knowing what to say.  
  
Jadzia did a little spin, her head twisting so she could see herself in the full length mirror. "Hmm, I'm not sure it suits me." she said, looking down at her exposed legs. "I think it doesn't mesh well with my tattoos." she explained, looking at Azula who was silent as ever despite appearing as though she wanted to say more. "What do you think you're going to wear?" she asked, pulling something else from the rack before going behind the folding screen once more.  
  
"...is this not appropriate?" Azula asked, looking down at her battledress.  
  
Jadzia looked over the screen. "I mean, it's passable. But why wear the clothes you practice in when you have all this to choose from?"  
  
"A princess can't be seen... dressing up for commoners. It simply isn't proper." she answered. Jadzia sighed.  
  
Azula looked away as Jadzia came out from behind the screen wearing only her undergarments. "That's easy." she said, swiping Azula's crown from her topknot. "This." she held it up in her hand. "Stays here." she said, putting it on the mantle before returning to the modesty of the screen.  
  
"You're suggesting I go undercover?"  
  
She laughed. "Not undercover, just..." Jadzia paused. "Not telling everyone you're the great blue fire princess for the next several hours." she said before coming out again, this time bearing a new outfit. "If that's alright with you."  
  
"I suppose." Azula nodded, not sure at all of what she had agreed to.  
  
"So." Jadzia began, looking herself in the mirror, this time more satisfied with the results. "Do you have an idea of what you want to wear now?" she asked.  
  
"I'm not sure." she said honestly.  
  
"Okay, well..." Jadzia considered briefly. "What do you normally pick?" she asked.  
  
"Well, normally I have Ty Lee pick something out for me" Azula answered honestly.  
  
Jadzia sighed. "And when Ty Lee's not around?"  
  
"My mother."  
  
Jadzia turned back to the clothing rack. "Well, what if it's me this time?" she asked, remembering that she _did_ promise to teach her. "I don't know if I can be as good as your friend, but..."  
  
Azula looked her over. The second dress she had picked for herself had suited her fairly well. "I suppose you'll suffice." she answered.  
  
"Thanks for the ringing endorsement." Jadzia said with a smile, already thinking what would best suit the Princess on a night such as this. "You know..." she trailed off, pulling out the _qipao_ she had tried before. "I think this would suit you a lot better than it did me." she explained, doing her best to imagine how it would look with the Princess's figure. "How about your try it on?" she said, offering it to Azula, who tentatively accepted.  
  
A pause as Azula stepped behind the folding screen.  
  
"So you really never have the urge to pick one of these out and look good for the day? Or just for a few minutes in front of the mirror?" Jadzia asked, confused that someone with so much could use it so little. As the Avatar she wasn't exactly allowed to have much in the way of worldly possessions. To have all this and not use it was simply unimaginable.  
  
"They're for special occasions." Azula answered from behind the screen. "Otherwise, they're not particularly practical." she said matter-of-factly.  
  
"Well they are very..." Jadzia trailed off as the princess stepped into view, her hair having since fallen out of its top-knot from pulling the dress over her head, leaving raven locks falling below her shoulders on both sides. "Beautiful." she finished, unable to pull her eyes away from Azula.  
  
She raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong, Avatar?" she asked.  
  
Jadzia took a moment to respond. "Uh, no. You just look really good in that, that's all." she managed. "...what do you think?"  
  
"It's adequate." she said simply, to which Jadzia smiled.  
  
"..glad you like it. Why don't you get ready while I look through your wardrobe some more. I'm not sure I'm ready to settle just yet." she explained with a grin.  
  
"Very well."  
  
Thankfully Azula seemed to understand what she meant as she had little difficulty sitting herself down and making herself up with the rather wide selection available. _At least she doesn't need her hand held for that_ , Jadzia thought to herself as she watched her rather expertly apply various powders and gels.  
  
She settled down too, once she found a black-and-red _hanfu_ that was more to her style. It suited her so well she almost considered asking Azula if she could keep it before she remembered she practically committed blackmail to get here in the first place. A subject that would probably be best to bring up at a later time.  
  
"So, have you ever been before?" Jadzia asked, breaking at least thirty minutes of silence.  
  
Azula turned away from the mirror. "To the festival?"  
  
"No, to the bathroom." Jadzia replied, with both a smile and an eye-roll, earning her a glare from the princess. "Yes, to the festival." she affirmed.  
  
"No." Azula answered simply, after a pause. "Father says such things only serve to distract me from my training."  
  
Jadzia smiled. "Well, I wouldn't say that's their _only_ purpose..." she said. "They're also very fun."  
  
"If you say so." Azula sighed.  
  
"You're just going to have to trust me." Jadzia said, hoping that the princess's resentment towards her wouldn't ruin the fun. "I promise, if you don't enjoy yourself even a little, I'll never drag you to anything like this ever again." she said, nodding her head slightly as if to make a show of sincerity.  
  
Of course, on some level she knew that making such a promise would only make the princess do everything in her power _not_ to let herself show any indication of enjoyment, but Jadzia was feeling confident that she could get Azula to turn a new leaf. Judging by the amount of time spent on her make-up, she could tell that the princess definitely was the type to care about what other people thought of her, even though she might deny it. That gave her something to work with.  
  
"Well, are you ready?" she asked.  
  
"...as I'll ever be." answered Azula, with another sigh.  
  
"Good. Let's go!" Jadzia said with a grin, grabbing Azula's hand and dragging her out of the room, knowing that she was in no hurry to leave under her own power.  
  
Even as they left her suites, she felt resistance to her pull. "Avatar." Azula began to protest, reclaiming control of her hand. "It's barely past midday. The festivities will have scarcely-"  
  
"I was thinking we would take the scenic route." Jadzia interrupted. "Around the edge of the caldera. We can take the trails to the city, take in the view."  
  
"You know about those?" Azula raised an eyebrow.  
  
Jadzia smiled. "Of course! Curzon used to walk them all the time." she explained. "Though I'm not sure he was interested in the scenery." Jadzia added with a laugh.  
  
The Princess sighed, well aware the journey she was suggesting would likely take hours in comparison to just taking a carriage. The walk itself was far from torture (though dressed up as they were, it wouldn't exactly be comfortable either). Relaxing, in fact. The company, however... "I suppose a carriage would be out of the question?"  
  
"That would take out all the fun! Plus, it's like you said, we'd arrive early." she explained, walking past the palace gates, looking to Azula to wave off the manservant who was about to offer them transport. "Do you ever use the trails?" she asked once the princess had waved off her gauntlet of minions.  
  
"Occasionally." Azula answered simply, not wishing to elaborate.  
  
"From what I'm told, the views are _beautiful_." she said with a smile, taking the Princess's lack of resistance as an approval of her plans.  
  
It didn't take long for them to escape the noise of the caldera city and out into the trails. They got a little attention, which Jadzia appreciated (though she could tell Azula was far less amused). The people there obviously weren't used to the Avatar and the Fire Princess just walking about.  
  
It was early summer and everything was in bloom. From the cherry blossoms to tulips to lilacs to even the occasional fire lily. With how rare they were outside the mountains, Jadzia almost wanted to snatch up one of the lilies for herself, though given the cultural connotation she figured she might as well wait until she was alone.  
  
"Alright, I get that you're not a festival fan, but with all this just a little walk away you _must_ tell me you come here often." Jadzia said finally.  
  
While Azula didn't have any particular interest in flowers, the caldera trails were a very nice place to be alone. "Indeed." she affirmed. "I often come with Ty Lee, though she prefers the gardens where all the flowers are neatly laid out for her."  
  
A pause.  
  
"This Ty Lee, is she a friend?" Jadzia asked as they rounded a bend in the trail.  
  
Azula nodded. "Since we were little." she affirmed.  
  
"Am I going to get to meet her?" she asked with a smile.  
  
"The better question is" Azula began, suppressing a chuckle "will you be able to stop her from getting to meet you."  
  
"A bit of a fan?" Jadzia asked.  
  
"Indeed." Azula affirmed. "The only reason you _haven't_ seen her yet is because for the last three weeks she's been traveling with a circus performing acrobatics."  
  
Jadzia raised an eyebrow. "A circus acrobat, huh? I wouldn't have expected that one."  
  
"While it may not be a very traditional occupation for a lady of her class, it's what makes her happy." Azula said harshly with a frown.  
  
"Whoa." she raised her hands in the air. "I didn't mean it in a bad way. It's just I expected this good friend of yours to be..." Jadzia trailed off.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"More like you." she finished.  
  
Azula nodded. "I suppose that makes sense." she conceded. "We met when we were very young. Before we knew what we wanted to do." she explained.  
  
"I understand. I thought I wanted to be all sorts of things before I turned sixteen." Jadzia lamented. "Turns out, I can only really be the Avatar." she said, motioning for them to stop at a bench overlooking the ocean.  
  
"Just as I can only really be a Princess." Azula agreed. "But there's still choices to be made. Just as not all Princesses are the same, not all Avatars are either."  
  
Silence for a moment while she thought to herself.  
  
"I guess I never thought of it that way." said Jadzia. "Airbenders are raised to think they can do anything they want when they grow up. _From each according to their ability_ is more than words for us." she explained.  
  
Azula sighed. "I've never been to an Air Temple." she began. "But in the Fire Nation everyone from peasantry to royalty is told they have a duty they can't escape from. A duty to their family, a duty to their country, a duty to their Firelord. And in that we're all the same." she explained. "However it's how they choose to perform that duty that defines them. One doesn't have to serve their country by taking up arms. They can serve by creating art, tilling the fields, forging metal. Anything you can think of." she said. "Perhaps your duty to the world can be the same way."  
  
Jadzia looked down.  
  
...  
  
"Hey, you tricked me!" she exclaimed. "I was all ready to briefly sit down and enjoy the view before heading to the festival, and you go ahead and get me talking about my life choices!"  
  
Azula laughed. "Yeah, I suppose I did do that."  
  
"You're right, though." Jadzia said after joining in the laughter for a moment. "I think I needed that today. Thank you."  
  
"You're welcome."  
  
Jadzia stood up. "Now, think you can include a little festivalgoing in your duty, princess?" she asked with a smile.  
  
"It's possible."  


* * *

  
  
After some time sightseeing, the Princess and the Avatar reached the lower capital city where the festivities were taking place.  
  
"You know, when you said we should take the trails, I didn't think you meant taking _every_ trail." Azula remarked, having gone in circles and doubled back many times to get the perfect ocean views for Jadzia. While it wasn't unbearable by any means, they weren't exactly dressed for it. They were lucky the weather was what it was or they might have ended up more than some dirtied soles. That, and a healthy amount of shade and wind to keep them cool.  
  
She laughed. "Hey, we're here now, right?" she said as they walked further inward, the noise getting louder and the paper lanterns more common.  
  
"So we are." Azula conceded.  
  
"And please," Jadzia said with a playful look. "Don't act like you weren't appreciating the views. I caught you getting entranced at least twice."  
  
Azula sighed. "So you did." she said, turning at the last second to avoid a masked festivalgoer who almost walked right through her. She frowned. Azula was not used to people walking anywhere near that close.  
  
Jadzia noticed her disapproving look. "Must be the mask." she said with a smile. Now that they were approaching the festival proper more and more people had them. "We should get some for ourselves."  
  
She crossed her arms. "You expect me to wear one of those?" she said, almost indignant.  
  
"Yes, _Princess_ " she said with a slight laugh. "I expect you to smile too. You're going to try your best to enjoy every moment of it."  
  
"Or you'll choose my Uncle over me?" she raised an eyebrow.  
  
Jadzia smirked. "If that's what it takes."  
  
"Very well." Azula conceded. "Unfortunately I don't know where we can find a mask."  
  
"Well, if festivals in the Fire Nation are anything like festivals in the Earth Kingdom, there are usually people selling everything you could possibly need." she said, walking forwards again.  
  
Azula crossed her arms as she followed. "And I assume you expect me to pay for this?" she asked.  
  
"Well, you _are_ the Princess, and I'm the Avatar without any worldly possessions." Jadzia answered playfully, enjoying having Azula in a bind.  
  
Azula sighed. "Very well." she repeated, starting to regret bringing her handbag.  
  
It didn't take them long to find a stall laden with masks of many shapes and colors.  
  
"Well, how are you two pretty ladies?" the man at the stall asked, giving Azula a double-take as though he had seen her before.  
  
Jadzia stepped forward, looking at his selection. "We're doing very well." she said. "Just looking for some masks. What would you recommend?"  
  
"Hmm." the man considered for a moment. " _You_ would make an excellent Dragon Empress." he said, pointing at Jadzia.  
  
"Dragon Empress..." she trailed off, considering for a moment that the man only said that because he thought he could sell them more expensive merchandise after looking at their rather upper-class attire. "That seems more up your alley, " she awkwardly stopped mid-sentence. "Aza." she decided upon, not wanting the man to pick up on the fact that the woman beside her was the great Fire Nation princess.  
  
" _I_ always played the Dragon Emperor." said Azula, letting out a faint smile at Jadzia's on the spot thinking.  
  
Jadzia gave a smile of her own. "Somehow that doesn't surprise me" she said. "Well, if you're going to be the Dragon Emperor, then _I'll_ be the Dark Water Spirit."  
  
"So you can place a curse on me, seizing my immortality?" she asked playfully.  
  
Jadzia's smile grew devious. "Seems fitting, doesn't it?"  
  
Azula gave her _that_ look, simultaneously admiring her tenacity to remind her of her predicament while also frustrated with herself that she had perfectly set that up for her.  
  
Jadzia stepped away while Azula paid, assuming her new identity as the Dark Water Spirit. The sun had just set and the festival was going into full swing. She could hear the sound of performers, the bustling of people going from attraction to attraction, and the sound of children using the chaos to play games unattended.  
  
"Well, what now." Azula said, standing beside her now that she had finished paying.  
  
" _Now_ , you put on your mask."  
  
Azula huffed before placing it over her head. "Happy?" she asked, not seeing the point in this exercise at all.  
  
"Very." Jadzia said, smiling again. "I was thinking we'd get something to eat." she said. "Preferably something spicy. Food in the earth kingdom is _so_ bland."  
  
Azula sighed. "Very well." she said, despite not being very hungry for festival food. She was beginning to accept her position as subordinate to Jadzia for the night.  
  
"Ok, well.." Jadzia trailed off for a second. "What about fire flakes, do you like those, Aza?" she asked.  
  
"No."  
  
Jadzia did a double take. "No? I thought everyone in the Fire Nation ate Fire Flakes religiously!"  
  
Azula shook her head. "Perhaps, but not me." she said. "They go straight to the waist." Azula explained.  
  
"Oh." said Jadzia, dejected.  
  
Azula sighed. "Well, there's nothing stopping you from getting some for yourself." she said, not sure why the mention of her dislike got the uppity Avatar so down.  
  
"I suppose." she said. "It kinda takes the fun out of it though."  
  
"The fun?" Azula asked, not understanding what fun there was in eating the same food as someone else, especially someone you presumed had eaten it many times before. Would eating it alone not provide the same novelty?  
  
Jadzia shook her head. "Oh, it's nothing." she said quickly, feeling stupid all of the sudden.  
  
Azula narrowed her eyes for a second. "You've been getting me to do things I expressly wished _not_ to do all night, but I don't want to do this one thing and now your fun is all ruined?" she asked rhetorically. "Oh Avatar, you don't expect me to believe that's all there is to this." she mocked.  
  
Silence.  
  
"Some foods are just better shared." Jadzia lied.  
  
She thought for a moment. "You wanted to impress me, didn't you?" Azula asked, smiling.  
  
"What!?" Jadzia exclaimed. "Why would I want to impress you by eating fire flakes?"  
  
"Simple." Azula said. "Most foreigners spit them back out the first time they eat them. You must have practiced." she declared. "Plus if it were really just an issue of needing someone to share with, you could have easily arranged that. You have me under a curse, remember _Jada_?" she said playfully.  
  
The Avatar huffed. "Alright. So I did." she admitted. "I still like them."  
  
"Nobody's stopping you." Azula motioned towards the Fire Flake stand Jadzia had been heading towards before Azula uncovered her little plot.  
  
Jadzia nodded. "You're right. I'm going to go get some." she declared. "And then you're going to have them with me."  
  
"I told you I didn't like them." Azula protested, already beginning to sense the futility of it.  
  
"Please." she waved her hand dismissively. "As if half a bag of fire flakes could destroy _your_ figure." said Jadzia, looking at the rather shapely figure of her imprisoned Dragon Emperor. "10 minutes of your exercise routine and they'll all be gone."  
  
Azula sighed. "Very well." she said, again opening up her bag to pay for things she didn't need or want.  
  
"Hey." said a nervous voice.  
  
'Aza' and 'Jada' turned around. "Is there something you w-" Azula started, almost frustrated.  
  
"Hi." Jadzia interrupted, not wanting Azula to scare the teenage boy off. "Enjoying the festival?" she asked, earning a glare from 'Aza'  
  
"Yeah." the boy said. "My friends and I-" he glanced back at a group of boys about their age, who were looking at him as though he were some sacrificial lamb-kitten "-were wondering if you'd like to come with us. The fireworks will start in thirty minutes, a-and we have the best spot to see them. Bao has a way to get on the roof of Town Hall." he said, before adding. "Oh, and he stole some Sake from his father's cabinet. You can have some, if you want." he said awkwardly, as though that last part was scripted by someone else.  
  
"We're not intere-"  
  
"We'd love to." interrupted 'Jada' again, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "Why don't you lead the way." she said.  
  
Azula grabbed Jadzia's arm, speaking in her ear. "I am _not_ drinking with some rowdy teenage ruffians." she said sternly.  
  
She laughed. "Relax. You don't have to." she said quietly, before turning towards 'Aza' so their masks were almost touching. "I've never seen fireworks before. I want to get a good view." she explained. Fireworks did get imported to the east now and again, but Jadzia's instructors always seemed to keep her away when they were. "As soon as the show's over, we leave, okay?" she assured.  
  
Even with the mask of the Dragon Emperor on, it was clear that Azula wasn't comfortable. "Very well." she conceded, hoping that the night would end soon.  
  
Sure enough, the boy called Bao did really have a way up to the roof of City Hall. Renovations were in-progress and scaffolding had made way for a clear path to the top, if a bit hard to navigate in the dark. Jadzia had to resist using her airbending to scale the building. _Climbing_ felt so restrictive, especially in her dress. That, and she hated splinters.  
  
"You're very pretty." said one of the boys to 'Aza', clearly not being able to see the scowl under her mask (though it was unlikely he was looking anywhere near her face anyway).  
  
"Yes, I am." she said simply, wishing she could light him on fire as she reached the next level of scaffolding.  
  
"What's your name?" he asked.  
  
"None of your business." she said sternly.  
  
Jadzia laughed. "It's Aza." she answered for you. "And she's had a bad day." she explained.  
  
"Oh, sorry." he said, climbing the next ladder before looking down on the pair of girls. "What's yours then?" he asked.  
  
"Jada" she said simply, getting used to the new moniker. "Do you know when the fireworks will start?" she asked, accepting his hand to help her up.  
  
"Oh, uh." he trailed off, thinking. "Bao said it'll be in about ten minutes." he said.  
  
'Jada' smiled. "Thanks." she said, looking back to make sure Azula was still following.  
  
"Bao says you're an airbender."  
  
Jadzia raised an eyebrow. _They must have recognized my tattoos,_ she thought to herself. "And what if I am?" she asked playfully, glad it was her airbending they suspected and not her status as the Avatar, or 'Aza's' as a Fire Princess.  
  
"I don't know. It'll be cool, I guess." he said, finally pulling his leg onto the roof.  
  
'Jada' followed, scaling the distance with a puff of air. "Yeah, I guess it is cool." she said with a smile he couldn't see. "Don't tell your friends he was right, though." she cautioned, looking past him to make sure nobody had seen her little stunt.  
  
"Oh, ok!" he said. "Um, Bao said this was my share." the boy held out a flask he pulled from his pocket. "You can have it if you want." he offered awkwardly.  
  
"Thanks." said 'Jada', accepting the flask before walking in a different direction then the boy's friend's had gone.  
  
"...w-where are you going?" he said, not sure who to follow.  
  
"To find a good spot." said Jadzia, leaving the boy to melt in his indecision.  
  
Jadzia soon found what she was looking for, a place to sit opposite to the stairwell, out of sight. She let her legs dangle off the building.  
  
"I was wondering when you'd show up." said Jadzia as Azula sat down next to her.  
  
"I thought you would rather hang out with the boys." Azula said simply.  
  
Jadzia took off her mask to look at Azula more clearly. "What makes you say that?" she said, her facial expression letting on more than her words.  
  
"Well," Azula began. "you followed them even though they were clearly trying to woo you with free alcohol, for one." she said. "And, you dressed like you're going to a ball even though you've had us hiking trails, eating snacks and scaling poorly-constructed scaffolding all day."  
  
Jadzia had to restrain her laughter at Azula's transparent underestimation of her. In a different circumstance it would have been insulting, but in fairness to Azula she _had_ been intentionally misleading everybody. "I wouldn't dress up for _them_." she said.  
  
A pause.  
  
"I just like looking this way for _me_ " she said honestly, before adding. "And well, they're not really my type." she said with a smile.  
  
The booms cracks and crackles of the fireworks began.  
  
"I see." Azula said, not totally understanding but knowing enough that pressing her would get her nowhere. _Ty Lee_ often said she liked dressing up just for herself, and got up to the very same things. She also flattered boys with the intent of extracting favors from them, as well as dragging Azula along to many pointless events. Jadzia must just be the same way, she supposed.  
  
With a twirl of her fingers Jadzia removed the lid of the flask and took a swig.  
  
**_Pffftt!_**  
  
Azula let out a genuine laugh for the first time since they arrived at the festival as Jadzia tried to cough away the burning sensation in her throat. "I suppose you didn't practice that one." she said.  
  
"I-" _cough_ "-suppose not." she managed, joining in on the laughter as soon as she was able.  


* * *

  
  
The fireworks went on for what must have been an hour, slowing and starting periodically, leaving Jadzia amazed with all the colors and shapes and sizes. She had always heard them described as 'colored explosions', which made it sound almost scary. However these were explosions of an entirely different sort than Jadzia had ever known. Sparkling and crackling, the harsher ones sounding more like thunderclaps than the boom of dynamite. It was enchanting.  
  
Azula, of course, was far from amazed as she had likely seen a similar spectacle hundreds of times, possibly even in her honor more than once. She got up to stretch her legs a few times, however she actually managed to sit through the whole show with Jadzia for the most part, much to her pleasure.  
  
"Whenever there are fireworks, I want the day off from my training." Jadzia declared. "I am _not_ missing any of these while I'm here."  
  
"You get used to it after a while." Azula repeated for the umpteenth time.  
  
Jadzia rolled her eyes. "Not everyone is as jaded as you, you know. For some, the same miracle every day is enough."  
  
"What airbender poetry book did you read that from?"  
  
Jadzia sighed. "Ok, so maybe some things lose their novelty." she admitted. "But something doesn't have to be new to be worthwhile."  
  
"I suppose that's true." Azula relented, dropping down to the ground from the last plank of scaffolding, checking her dress to make sure the journey up and down hadn't caused any tears or holes. "Now, are you satisfied?"  
  
"Satisfied?"  
  
Azula resisted the urge to do a little eyeroll of her own. "The Fire Days Festival, you've seen enough haven't you? We should be heading back." she said matter-of-factly, hoping she could get back in time to not totally destroy her sleep cycle.  
  
"What, I look around for a bit, put on some masks, eat some fire-flakes and watch some fireworks, and you think I'm done?" she asked, as if the answer were obviously 'no'. "Besides, you said ten o'clock." she said, putting her mask back on. "I have a good 20 minutes to burn."  
  
Azula sighed. "Very well." she said, putting on her own mask and following Jadzia as she ran towards the crowd.  
  
It didn't take Jadzia long to find her next spectacle: an amateur firebender preforming on stage making all kinds of shapes and symbols with his flame, some even actually resembling something. And of course, as with everything else simple and pointless at the festival, Jadzia was instantly transfixed.  
  
Even through the mask she could see Azula's judgmental look. "Why the long face?" she asked, with a mocking expression Azula couldn't see.  
  
"There are servants in charge of cleaning my clothes that can bend better than this." Azula said, neglecting the fact that other people in the crowd closeby could hear her, earning a few choice looks.  
  
Jadzia crossed her arms. "Well, at least he's not just _breathing_." said Jadzia, relishing the chance to fire a few shots in return for the exercises she had been put through. Azula _was_ right though, even she could tell the man's footwork was sloppy, and his arms weren't utilizing their full range of motion.  
  
Azula frowned. "Well, maybe if he _did_ focus on his breathing he wouldn't be so sloppy!" she said, even louder than before, earning a few "Shh!" and "Shut up!"'s from the people around them.  
  
Jadzia grabbed Azula's arm before she hurt anyone. "Alright, look." she said, coming up with a plan to both placate the Princess and get a better spectacle out of her dwindling time. "Here's your chance to prove it. In a few minutes when it's this man's turn to go offstage, make sure you're next to preform." she said.  
  
"What?!" Azula said with a priceless look of surprise.  
  
"Show everyone here how a proper master is supposed to do it." Jadzia said with a smile. "If you do, I'll do all the breathing exercises you want." she said, hoping dangling a carrot would work better than the stick she had used to get to this point. "Plus, you're way better than him, this should be a breeze for you." she added.  
  
Azula huffed, knowing that Jadzia was likely using this as another chance to humiliate her. She was not going to back down this time. "Well, when you put it that way." she said, before pushing her way through the crowd to get to the front, leaving Jadzia alone to wonder if she was better at 'espionage' than Azula thought.  
  
Her amusement quickly faded into anticipation for what she had actually done, however. Part of her hadn't expected the Princess to take her up on her offer, calling it 'beneath her' or whatever. What would she do onstage? Jadzia wondered.  
  
It felt as though Jadzia was left wondering for a while, but eventually the man ceased his performance and gave a bow, before walking off the makeshift stage to be replaced by Azula, who wisely decided to wear her mask for this affair. Unfortunately, her state of dress earned her a few cheers and hollers from the crowd.  
  
Jadzia bit her tongue and hoped this wouldn't end with anyone on fire.  
  
While the crowd wouldn't keep quiet, Jadzia actually moved her way forward so she could get a better view. Outside of the brief demonstration when she first arrived, she had never seen Azula properly bend.  
  
More laughter from the crowd as Azula created a small flame with two fingers, as though her hand were a candlestick and her fingernails the wick to a small flame. But it's small size didn't last, growing and growing until Jadzia couldn't see Azula's face anymore, instead replaced by bright white flame.  
  
**_FOOM_**  
  
As though it were a river suddenly released by a dam, the flame that had since risen far above her head falling down until you couldn't see Azula at all, instead just a flickering tower of flame splashing all over the stage. The crowd gasped, thinking she had just created a fire before the flame rose upwards from the stage in the opposite way it had came, like an upside-down waterfall. Revealing the spinning figure of Azula, both of her hands with two outstretched fingers now - creating trails of flame as Azula spun until she was hidden behind flame again, a whirlwind of yellow flame with streaks of orange and what Jadzia thought were tinges of blue grew in size and scope until it too dissipated - the whirlwind giving way until only streaks of flame remained making Azula look like she had tiger stripes for a brief moment.  
  
Jadzia hadn't expected Azula's performance to be like this. When she first arrived, when she first saw her bend it was as though she were striking down imaginary enemies, fighting a small war in her mind. But this, it was as if Azula were an artist, painting on the canvas of the night sky.  
  
**_zzzTTT-CRA-CRA-CRACK!_**  
  
From the sound Jadzia would have expected lightning, but instead it was as if Azula had thrown a thousand firecrackers and lit them all at once, the sound of all of them echoing off the buildings.  
  
Two arcing balls of flame streaking across the sky, white-yellow in their centers but leaving trails of orange and red like a comet's tail came out of the crackling blast, chasing eachother in the sky like yin and yang as Azula spun on the ground.  
  
**_BOOM!_**  
  
The fireballs erupted into the same crackling explosions, raining embers in all directions that grew fainter and fainter as they fell.  
  
The crowd who had previously laughed cheered as Azula briefly stopped her fiery performance, Jadzia clapping her hands along with them, until she started again - spinning and spinning and spinning until she was surrounded by an orb of flame that grew like a bubble until it almost reached the audience.  
  
**_BOOM!_**  
  
And like the fireballs before it, it too exploded, leaving no crackles behind instead only smoke. By the time it had cleared Azula was gone.  
  
It didn't take too long for the two of them to be reunited again. Azula found her in the crowd and they walked away together, Jadzia agreeing to Azula's request to take a carriage back to the caldera.  
  
"You practiced that, didn't you." Jadzia finally asked.  
  
"Not really." Azula said honestly. "I don't train to perform."  
  
"Alright, but at least admit you enjoyed that."  
  
A pause.  
  
"Alright, I suppose I did." Azula said, thinking that perhaps she hadn't wasted this trip after all.  
  
While Jadzia had wanted to visit the Fire Days festival just to have some fun (possibly at Azula's expense), she felt as though she had gotten more than she could have hoped for. Jadzia had started the day thinking Azula just another military hardass. But now Jadzia had seen Azula in a different light. She had used her firebending not for some great purpose, but as an _art._ The kind of mastery you'd expect from an old man in a tea set and not a young princess bent on being a warrior in a time of peace. And, unlike most old men with tea sets, she still knew how to have fun, even if she didn't admit she wanted to.  
  
Maybe Jadzia would stop complaining about her breathing exercises for a while.


End file.
